On The Horizon
by SilverStar186
Summary: Klonoa is setting off on his new adventure in Lunatea, but when an old nemesis shows up from the past, what could this possibly have in store for his future? KlonoaxLolo at end
1. Vision 1

On The Horizon

(Disclaimer: I don't own any Klonoa characters, but I own my redesign of Joka.)

"Put me on a Wind Bullet and shoot me into Nahatomb!"

"B-but what will happen to you, Huepow?"

"Don't worry! We'll always be together! We have to win... with both of our strengths combined!"

The hero nodded, "Huepow, I understand!" He aimed his shot carefully and focused every last bit of strength he had. "TAKE THAT!"

As the hero watched his friend sacrificed everything to destroy the nightmare entity, Nahatomb, he remained unaware of the plot. The thoughts of a power hungry entity taking form against his existence. His thoughts rested upon Huepow, his friend who had stood by him, and Lephise, the woman kidnapped into nightmares. The back of his mind also dwelled on Joka and Ghadius, the court jester and his malevolent king. Somehow, now it didn't matter. All he wanted was to know that his friends were okay. That would make him completely content. The light from Nahatomb's demise blinded the Dream Traveler if only for a brief moment. As his eyes adjusted, his gaze fell upon a figure in a white and purple cloak and a green star surrounded by a dark bubble. There was a purple hat adorned with emerald spheres holding two bronze tubes with lavender material flowing out from within. Her soft pink face had a slight blush, making her seem almost childlike. Teal eyes filled with gratefulness shined at Klonoa, making him smile slightly. At once, the hero recognized her.

"The Diva... Lephise."

"Thank you." She smiled, "All of the nightmares have disappeared."

Klonoa should have been happy. Maybe even overjoyed. However, he was only depressed. He hung his head and felt hot tears well in his yellow eyes.

"Huepow... Together always! That's what you said!" the cat-like hero cried. "Huepow..."

Then a voice responded, "We're together, Klonoa. We'll be together...always!"

As the duo was reunited, a dark figure watched on in anger. He wasn't finished with this little spark. He felt a deep anger and hatred welling up inside him. His face denied his feelings though, for his only expression was a twisted smirk. Revenge would be close. Closer than the poor cabbit knew. All it would take was time which was convenient because that was his only possession. The spirit would bide his time and strike hard when the most opportune moment came. His smirk looked sparked with insanity as a devilish plot came to mind.

"Might as well get started..." With that final statement, he teleported to another realm.

--------

"Help...me...Help me... Please..."

Klonoa opened his eyes, but all that was around was darkness. That voice though... He could have sworn he'd heard a call of help. As his eyes closed again, he slipped into unconsciousness as he fell to the dark sea below. In his world, there was a completely white setting save for a black figure reaching out to him.

"Help me... Please, help me..."

Then the vision began to fade. Klonoa tried to reach out to the figure but something was pulling him in the opposite direction. Then he felt the burn of someone's gaze. The Dream Traveler slowly fluttered his eyes open and saw two creatures hovering over him. One was a yellow dog-like creature with sharp claws and shattered green eyes. He had a red bandana around his neck and was curiously cocking his head from side to side, probably wondering what exactly it was he was looking at. The other was a young girl with soft blue eyes, spiky orange hair, and rather large ears. Klonoa was shocked to see a tail on the strange girl. She was wearing a pink hat, light pink dress, black stockings, and pink shoes. There was an odd insignia right under her chin. It was an upside-down green triangle with wings.

"Umm…Are you alright?" she asked in a soft voice.

Klonoa's words clung to his throat but eventually coughed out, "Uhhh... yeah... at least... I think so..."

"Thank goodness. I'm Lolo. I'm a priestess... well... a priestess in training. And this is Popka," the girl motioned to the dog-like creature beside her.

It raised one paw, "Yo!"

Klonoa nodded, "You're the ones who saved me, huh? Thanks. I'm Klonoa."

Lolo then tilted her head and added while deep in thought, "Klonoa... So Klonoa is the name of the Dream Traveler."

"Huh? Hold on there! I'm just-" The cabbit interjected before being cut off.

"Watch out!" Popka exclaimed.

Just as Popka warned them and the duo pulled Klonoa back against a rock wall, a huge Digon surfaced and bashed its head into the spot they previously inhabited. Klonoa yelped in shock, but Popka was more annoyed than shocked.

"Just great, monsters here too?!" he yelled and started jumping up and down in anger.

Lolo nodded, "M-Maybe we should wait until later to talk. Please Klonoa, won't you help us?"

Klonoa looked at them questioningly, "Huh...? Who me?"

Without answering him, Popka exclaimed, "Lolo!"

The girl nodded, and a green glow surrounded her as she turned into a spirit and floated into Klonoa's ring.

"Let's get this show on the road!" Popka yelled in anxiousness.

"Huh? What? What the...?" The shocked hero looked his ring over in amazement. How did she do that? The only one Klonoa knew who could do that was Huepow! His thoughts saddened as he remembered his long gone friend back in Phantomile.

"Awww, will ya move it? All ya gotta do is get to that island!" Popka snapped him back into the current world.

"What island?"

Popka simply pointed to an island on the black horizon. Through the darkness and the rain, Klonoa saw that the island had a huge statue of a decorated woman on it.

"Where am I anyway?" Klonoa asked, hoping for an answer.

Popka offered no such thing yet again, "C'mon, let's go!"

He hopped into the ring with Lolo. Klonoa wondered if they had some sort of secret club in there or something, but nevertheless, went forward into his new journey.

--------

Meanwhile, a young maiden and her feline companion watched from the skies in their red airplane. The dark skinned woman stared on with a glint of anxiousness in her midnight blue eyes. Her red ponytail sailed in the plane's breeze much like her red coattails. A smile would have cracked onto her face had she not composed herself. Finally, that power she had longed for would be within in reach. Subconsciously, the lady reached out her hand to an invisible strength, waiting for that surge of energy to flow through her. Finally, it was hers. That raw power...

"Leorina...?"

Leorina snapped to attention and faced her comrade. The black and white feline stared at the woman through her open, yellow eye with concern. She was holding out her paw, revealing the golden star.

"I was worried about-"

Leorina shook her head quickly, "Forget about it, Tat... Just stay on course."

The small cat jumped a bit at her forgetfulness and brought her attention back to the ship's controls, "Yes, ma'am!"

Leorina's mind was just swirling with emotions. So The Dream Traveler _had_ come, like that old fake of a prophet said. But there was another who had predicted this sunspot to approach her world. He was the one who had consulted her after... Her mind quickly dropped that subject. She wouldn't think of those who had tried to hold her back. They had tried to keep her from what was rightfully hers in the first place.

"Let's just test your power, hmm, Dream Traveler?" Leorina mumbled with a slight chuckle.

--------

A black figure sat on the bell tower at La-Lakoosha, the Bell of Tranquility's home. He wasn't very patient for the new arrival of Lunatea to start on his merry way of setting things right. Those Priestesses had been annoying as well, but they were much weaker than previously expected. He may have had a black hearted agenda, but there was no need to assume right off the bat! That's just rude.

"Rude hosts will not do at all..." he thought out loud, shuffling a deck of purple and black backed Tarot cards. "Now, Dream Traveler, let's see what kind of hand fate has dealt you."

The figure laid out four cards: The Emperor reversed, The Queen of Pentacles, The Lovers, and finally The Tower reversed. He glanced down at the final card with a sincere thought, trying to think of its meaning.

'The Tower...?' Then he remembered one phrase as clear as the tone of a bell, 'A fall from glory is inevitable.' A cold smirk grew across his pale face.

"As is deserving of one such as you, Dream Traveler. You've gotten your taste of victory, but we'll take it away..." He chuckled, "Won't we, Master?" He teleported yet again to plant another seed.

The King of Sorrow sat up quickly from his deep meditation. Red eyes filled with years of isolation seemed to harden with unfathomable hatred and anger. He walked around the stone room, as if expecting to find some new detail. When he finally discovered that his search had ended in vain, he let out a piercing high pitched wail of despair. A wall of blue energy shot out from his body as electrical arms grasped at pieces of stone. The chunks were shot out into the colorful stained glass windows, shattering parts of them to reveal the deep, dusty orange sky. He ran to the edge of the window and looked down into the abyss below. The green cabbit nearly just let himself fall to the end, but one thought saved him.

'Redemption is at hand, Your Grace. The Dreamer shall awaken your heart to its true form.'

"The Dreamer...?" he spoke out in a whisper. "Help me..." His cry grew louder, "Help me..." The King of Sorrow's cry became so powerful that it had the strength to echo through the long abandoned tower, "Help me! HELP ME!" He fell to his knees and cried, "I don't want to be so alone... Please..."

"You aren't alone, Your Grace."

Tear stained eyes blinked in surprise, but their gaze couldn't leave the cracked floor. He spoke in a tiny voice that seemed so distant but so desperate, "I'm not...?"

"The Dreamer is your only hope, Your Grace."

The King of Sorrow turned to see his guest. It was a creature with tall skinny legs but no arms. It had black gloved claws were just floating at his side. Its feet were in deep red shoes that curved into a tight loop at the toes. The creature's torso was skinny, almost like a skeleton with a royal purple and jet black striped suit on over top. Its face was painted white with black plus signs for his eyes. On top was a sort of hat that slowly curved inward with the same stripe scheme. He had a big red smile upon his snow complexion. The King of Sorrow instantly thought of a clown.

"And who do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

The figure smiled, "I am a mere court jester, but if you must have a name, I'd prefer...Joka. But I'm sorry to make my appearance and have to fly away so very quickly, but I've most urgent business to attend to. You shall surely see me again though, before the day is out."

--------

Back at La-Lakoosha, Klonoa had just proven his strength to Leorina the Sky Pirate by defeating Folgoran the Armored Beast. She seemed impressed, but not as impressed as Tat, who privately claimed him cool and somewhat cute. The scheming duo flew off in their red plane, just as the trio ran up to the bell.

"So I just shoot this?"

"NOT SO FAST!"

Klonoa whipped around so fast it gave Lolo and Popka whiplash. The two jumped out of Klonoa's ring and gave the figure a shocked gaze. What they saw in front of them was the antithesis of Lunatea; a dark colored figure seeming to represent the joy of people, but its aura gave off a malevolent, murderous insanity. Lolo felt a bit woozy from the darkness of its energy, but she kept her ground.

Klonoa stepped forward, "Who are you?!"

"You mean you don't remember?" the jester laughed hysterically. "Then let me give you a hint!" He threw one of his elastic-like arms towards Klonoa. Its clawed hand transformed into a black lobster claw as it clutched a tight grip on Klonoa's small frame.

"Klonoa!" Lolo cried out.

The black and white cabbit slipped out of the claw just before it snapped tight and, all at once, exclaimed, "Joka!"

He exclaimed with a toothy grin, "BINGO! We have ourselves a winnah, ladies and gents!" He extended his arms while brightly colored confetti shot out from his long sleeves, "Are you happy to see me, Dream Traveler? Or should I call you Klonoa? Which do you prefer?"

Klonoa offered no reply to his old nemesis.

"Because I don't want to call you the wrong thing! That would be awfully vexing, don't you think?" Joka asked. "Besides, I don't want to mess up your epitaph." Then, as if he were on stage, he spoke aside, "That's the message on a tombstone for those keeping score at home."

"Why are you here?" Klonoa asked angrily.

The jester seemed shocked by Klonoa's anger, "Oh, don't be such a sour puss! I just KNOW you're tickled pink at the thought of spending time with me again! Besides, I'm not here to play; that's later, my dear cabbit. Our final dance will be much later, but I'll be the last one standing this time. I just came to see you before we become engaged in heated battle. So until then, ADIEU MY ADORING PUBLIC!!" He left, but not before throwing something at the trio.

Popka picked up the small old red and yellow mini-Joka. Then he noticed that the swirl on the back of his head was a fuse. He threw it in the air just as the bomb burst into a multitude of colored smokes. It seems that the clown had a few more tricks up his sleeve.

'Joka…I thought I defeated you once and for all,' Klonoa wondered. 'What do you have in store for me and Lunatea?'

--

End of Vision

--


	2. Vision 2

(Disclaimer: I still don't own anything Klonoa related except a copy of the games.)

'Joka…I thought I defeated you once and for all,' Klonoa wondered. 'What do you have in store for me and Lunatea?'

"Who... Who are you?!" Lolo asked, fear wavering under her voice.

Joka glanced over at her, a tiny curious smirk showing, "My dear, I am but a humble court jester-"

Klonoa interrupted Joka's introduction, "Don't listen to him! He's a-"

The claw wrapped itself around Klonoa yet again and lifted him a few feet off the ground. The clownish figure glared at him, eyes blazing in contempt, "HEY! Don't hog the show, kid! I'm fully capable of introducing myself to the crowd! Now where was I?" Joka thought it over a minute while Klonoa still hung in the air, strumming the area on his face which should be a chin with his unoccupied hand. Then an actual light bulb appeared over his head, "AHA! That's it, of course! I, my lady and dog-like companion, am but a humble court jester whose name is Joka."

"Court jestah?" Popka scoffed, "So you're a fancy clown, is that it?"

Klonoa struggled in the lobster claws but managed to maneuver to a spot where he could breathe easily, "No, Popka! He used to be an underling to Ghadius who-"

"WHO YOU DESTROYED, YOU LITTLE SUN SPOT!" Joka moaned in agony, "Do you know how LONELY I've been all these years? Can you just imagine the absolute joy that I have in finding you, Klonoa?"

Klonoa grimaced, "Lucky me."

"On the nose!" Joka smiled brightly, "You've still got your wits about you; of that I'm assured. Then again, you never had too many of those so I supposed you held fast to the little you had, eh Dreamy Boy?" Joka laughed wickedly.

Klonoa spat out his words angrily, "Why are you here?"

"Isn't it just perfectly obvious? Johnny, show him what's behind door Numbah One!" And with that, Joka released Klonoa and waved the newly free hand. As Lolo and Popka ran to check on the slumped Klonoa, a giant upside down top hat appeared before their very eyes. The skeletal jester flipped inside it to send it exploding in quick blue and pink bursts of smoke.

The trio tried to cough the smoke out of their lungs, but it was no use. Lolo helped Klonoa out of the dust just as Popka burst from the colorful cloud. Klonoa sat on the ground, taking in deep breaths of clean air, and Lolo sat in front of him asking if he would be alright. Popka was slapping Klonoa's back in a somewhat comical but nevertheless useless attempt to help. An unheard breeze quickly pushed the smog away to reveal an orange door with a big yellow 1 outlined in a bright red painted on it. Although their was no handle, the door swung open to reveal not the mountains' jagged peaks or the bright blue afternoon skyline, but a gray, foggy graveyard appeared. Purple blades of light sprinted from cloud to cloud and whip cracks of thunder shook the ground. Dead, black trees with pointed branches showed menacing faces trying to lure them inside the desolate realm.

"WEEEELL Joka, it's seems our contestant has won an all expenses paid trip to the Spirit World!" Joka cried out in a deeper voice to try to sound like some kind of game show host assistant. A high pitched cackle echoed through the area as the door slammed shut with such a force that knocked them all back. Joka jumped out from behind the door and leapt onto its summit. Klonoa stood up between Joka and newly found friends in an effort to protect them from any surprise attacks.

Joka sat on top of the door frame and watched them in hysterical enjoyment, "Oh, Dream Traveler, your attempts really make me feel all bubbly inside, they really do! But I'm afraid this fate is closed off to you for now." Joka then frowned, "Yes, I know; I'm sad too. If you play your hand right though, I'll throw in trips for your little friends too!"

Popka started jumping up and down angrily, "WHO ARE YA CALLIN' LITTLE, YA CARNIVAL REJECT?!"

Joka shrugged it off, "I'll just ignore you, silly doggie thing. You don't hold my interest which is very sad. And very dreadful for your future. Tsk tsk, minus ten points!" He pulled out a clipboard and scribbled something down. He poofed it away like it was nothing. "Now, I really must be going! You just keep on playing hero until I call on you again, okay Dreamy Boy? By the way, should you decide to try to ruin my plans," Joka disappeared in a flash only reappear inches away from Klonoa's face. The Dream Traveler gasped at what he saw blistering in the mad fool's eyes, "I will burn your life and everyone in it. Do you understand?"

Klonoa nodded the responded, "What are you doing in Lunatea?"

"Helping an old friend," Joka responded in a serious tone before disappearing yet again.

When Joka didn't return after a few minutes, Klonoa breathed a sigh of relief.

"Joka seems about a hundred times stronger than the last time I faced him. With him running around here, it's not going to make my job any easier," Klonoa said solemnly. "But I can't give up. Lolo, you and Popka...Baguji...All of Lunatea is counting on me! I can't give up when I haven't even tried."

"Klonoa..." Lolo blushed brightly and a smile came to her face.

"That's right, ya hard headed fool! Ya can't throw in the towel before the bell has even rang! Now get ya head in da game, and let's get to it!"

Lolo entered Klonoa's ring after instructing him on how to obtain the Element. The Dream Traveler stood in front of his golden target and fired. The Bell of Tranquility began to ring out in a fragile but beautiful tone. A green light appeared before him that crystallized in his hand. He stared into the glint of light reflecting off of the sphere's surface.

"So...this is an Element?" Klonoa nodded. "Let's head back to Baguji's Island."

--------

Other than Joka, there were more people who wished for Klonoa's downfall, namely a sky pirate and her feline sidekick, Leorina and Tat. They had been watching the events unfold from the safety of the sky.

Leorina sighed angrily, "Tat...This isn't going as planned. I hadn't expected him to do that."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to go along with Plan B, won't we?" Tat asked in an almost mocking tone. She then noted her partner's silence and tried to recover, "I mean, if Klonoa were to-"

"No! I'm not going to stoop to such lows as stealing his Ring..." Leorina sat back into her seat, "Besides, I don't think that Ring is fit for me anymore. We're making a new plan. Do you remember what I taught you to do in escape emergencies?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Tat asked, curiosity peaked. "Am I going to the front lines?"

"Somewhat... I need you to do a little bit of reconnaissance," Leorina responded, thoughts swirling in her head. "But I don't want you to go alone. Take Leptito with you."

"Aw man! Don't you trust me to handle myself?" Tat whined. "I'm not a kitten anymore, you know!"

"It's not you I'm worried about," the sky pirate turned and fixed her gaze into the Sea of Tears. "I'm worried about what he might do if things don't go as he planned."

"You don't think he's...dangerous, do you?" Tat asked nervously. She knew that Leorina was never really scared of any one or thing, but her new hesitant persona was starting to make Tat a little uncomfortable. The black and white cat waited nervously for an answer or acknowledgment of her question. When neither came, a tense feeling washed over Tat. She tried again, "Leorina, do you think he's dangerous?"

Leorina simply kept her sights glued to the water beside her and paused before answering, "...Yes. But now is not the time to let fear become an obstacle. We have a lot of work to do, and not much time to do it."

'Now that is the Leorina I know,' Tat thought happily.

The sky pirate began to explain her newly hatched scheme to obtain Klonoa's Ring while Tat listened anxiously and flew them to their next destination: Joilant, the Kingdom of Joy.

-------

The trio stood on Baguji's Island and waited for the prophet to speak. He was, however, totally submerged in his thoughts of what should be done next. Baguji concentrated on thinking up what should be done about Joka, Leorina, and, most importantly, the Elements.

The prophet let a small 'hmm' escape his mouth, surprising Klonoa, and finally spoke, "Joilant," he pointed towards the bright lights on the horizon. "I sense a cloud of misfortune hovering above its unsuspecting citizens and tourists. Beware, young travelers, of its deceiving, gleeful façade for darkness lurks beneath, waiting for you."

Klonoa gave the Lunateans a confused look, "Joilant? Is that another kingdom?"

Lolo nodded, "It's more like a giant carnival."

"Really?" Klonoa brightened at the prospect of being able to help his friends and have fun all at once. "That sounds-"

"We're not going there to have fun!" Lolo scolded, "We do have a mission, you two!"

Popka groaned and shook his head, and Klonoa sighed disappointedly.

Lolo, seeing their expressions, smiled apologetically, "But maybe afterwards..."

Before she could finish, however, Klonoa was calling out to her for her to "come on" and Popka had just finished crossing the stepping islands to the main land. As Lolo started to venture across, Klonoa's mind started to swirl.

'But in a place like Joilant... Joka could easily blend in. Also, Leorina might have more monsters on her side... Is that what Baguji meant by 'darkness'? ...Wait, what am I saying? This is no time to be afraid of something I've never faced! Lunatea needs my help!'

--------

The other person who needed Klonoa's help, namely the King of Sorrow, was walking aimlessly through his Kingdom of Sorrow. As he passed, monsters came to a complete halt. They seemed to show a large amount of respect or devotion to the discarded king, but he knew better than that: the monsters simply feared him. The only entity the King of Sorrow had met who hadn't shown that fear was Joka. He dared not call him a friend; the king didn't fully trust that jester. He just had this feeling that Joka had other plans of him hiding behind his mask.

"Why...am I so alone?"

"You're not alone, Your Grace," a voice rang out.

Joka materialized before the king and bowed in mock respect.

The King of Sorrow merely waved this display off, "You must think I'm either extremely dumb or naïve."

"Is there a difference?" Joka cackled. After noticing that he was the only one laughing, he tried to recover, "Excuse me, Your Grace, I meant no offense."

"Well, you can excuse yourself of my presence, Joka. I have no need of a jester anymore!" The King of Sorrow lashed back. He started to walk away, leaving behind a very depressed jester. 'I have no need for anything besides him. Klonoa, you must come quickly. I need your help.' He began to speak out loud without realizing it, "Help me...Klonoa."

--------

Klonoa and the gang stood in amazement. The Dream Traveler was awestruck by Joilant's flashing neon lights, people laughing and applauding at the attractions, and all of the bright colors of the tents and people's outfits. He had never seen such a fun place to live. A series of pops and bangs turned his attention to a pop gun shooting gallery. He felt an odd feeling staring at the toy guns the children held: a sense of familiarity. But Klonoa didn't know anyone with a gun nor had he seen that gun before...

"Hey, watch where you're goin'!" Popka exclaimed.

Lolo gasped almost immediately, "The Element! It...It's gone!"

A sly, familiar voice rang out, "Ha! It's mine now!"

The black and white thief revealed herself to be none other than Tat. Popka, starting to fume, charged after her, but only succeeded to run right into the map sign. This caused Tat to laugh hysterically before splitting in half. Now a black cat to Popka's left stuck her tongue out at him while a white cat to his right giggled.

"C'mon! You'll have to do better than that!" and with that the black Tat scurried off towards the Jungle Slider.

The white Tat waved goodbye, "Ta ta!" She ran off deeper into the amusement kingdom.

Popka started jumping up and down angrily again, "What are ya doin', Klonoa?! After 'em!"

"Uh...Which one?"

"I don't care! Just start chasing one!" Popka yelled.

Klonoa nodded as Lolo floated into his ring, running after one of the suspected Element thieves.

--

End of Vision

--


	3. Vision 3

Chapter 3

(Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own the Klonoa characters, sheesh. However, I can claim Loki, who you'll meet shortly. And a quick note, I changed the shooting gallery line with Guntz because it doesn't go with the timeline. Thanks for pointing it out to me, Chibikawa. And never say "won't" around me; you just never know what I have planned.)

Klonoa ran deep into the heart of Joilant Fun Park with Popka hot on his heels. Noises surged around them in crashing waves, but the two weren't even noticed by any passersby. They just figured that Klonoa was a kid overeagerly heading towards the rollercoaster or some other attraction. Popping his head above the crowd to try to see where Tat ran off to, the Dream Traveler spotted her running across a bridge before disappearing yet again. Popka snapped at him, telling him to quit gawking and start running. As they headed off though, Klonoa saw Tat waving smugly on the pathway above them. Klonoa glared at her, shot at the lock for the bridge, and ran onto the wooden planks. He was determined to get the Element back.

--------

Leorina waited patiently for Tat to return. She was skeptical about sending her friend into the field, but the pirate had no doubt of Tat's somewhat stubbornness to help out. Leorina smiled at the thought; up until now, she hadn't realized that Tat was _always_ watching out for her. Tat was really the only friend she had, but that kitten was the only friend she needed. Leaning back into her seat, her eyelids covered the real world and sent her into a dream.

"_Leo, I'm only suggesting-"_

"_Suggesting what? That I'm not strong?"_

_The dark figure smirked, "No! Never! I'm only saying that you could be... so much more than you are now." The stranger hovered around her, "You and I both know that those fools are just trying to mask your great talent and power."_

_The girl gave him a glare, "I don't know what you're talking about."_

"_Oh you don't?" Even though she couldn't see it, the child could detect a smirk on the stranger's face. "Well, then I shall take my leave. But...you would do well to consider my proposal."_

Leorina's eyes snapped open as her body jerked forward. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms; what a stupid thing to dream about. She had been having odd thoughts, but Leorina just figured it was from the long hours of preparation. Her plan couldn't fail. She would become more powerful than anyone else in this world. Then she could show them. She could show everyone just how strong she was and how weak they were in comparison. Leorina looked up into the darkening sky; the showdown would be sooner than anyone could imagine.

--------

Joka waited in the shadows of an abandoned tent, feeling at peace in his darkened temple. Lights shone thought the pink and orange striped fabric overhead, and fireworks crackled in shimmering bursts. He lay down on the cold ground, staring at the sky.

The jester sighed, 'When can I be done with all of this?' Joka mentally slapped himself, "Sheesh, get it together, man! This isn't the time to be thinking about throwing in the towel..."

"Joka, if you had ever gotten your act together, maybe the situation wouldn't be in such states. I've been watching your irrational and erratic behavior, and I'm starting to have doubts," a voice echoed around him.

The demon clown sat up instantly, "What the?"

The voice didn't give him a reply, but his only comment was strong enough to scare Joka out of his wits.

'This is not good at all! If he wakes before I'm done... I'm in for a wonderful treat! I'll just have to pick up the pace, that's all.' Joka smirked. "That's easily done!" He sat up and sprang into action. The clownish servant slipped unnoticed into the crowd.

--------

"Klonoa! Up here, silly!" the albino Tat chimed. "You wouldn't want me to escape now, would you?"

"Just you wait!" the cabbit exclaimed.

Klonoa's mind was fixated on getting back the Element. It's pretty much a good thing to have a one track mind at these times, but... Not all the time. CLANG! He stumbled backwards to the soundtrack of Tat's high pitched hysterics. Luckily, the metal pole he ran into didn't have a face print imbedded in it. Klonoa really didn't want an embarrassment like that publicized for all eternity.

"What are ya doin', ya mook?" Popka groaned.

Tat commented between laughs, "Making a grand fool of himself! Well, at least, you're in the right place!"

Popka sighed and shook his head disappointedly. Klonoa, however, was plotting a way to get to Tat. He spied a flag banister over a large pit and mentally marked Tat's position. If he jumped in just the right direction...He poked Popka's side and motioned gently to the rail. The dog looked and smirked in understanding. He leapt up to it, and Klonoa gave chase.

Tat looked at them arrogantly, "Klonoa, are you trying to kill yourself?"

Popka hung down from the pole. The daring young hero jumped into the air and caught Popka's stubby feet. Using his momentum, he swung right over the gap and in front of Tat's feet. She stood there for a second in shock then quickly sped off. Klonoa laughed and went right on chasing her. He noticed a dark looking building coming up in the distance. He could hear screams coming from its direction and thought it was a trap set by Joka. Klonoa figured the devious clown had taken hostages and was using them to get him to fight Joka or one of his servants, like the Rongo Lango. Klonoa was relieved, however, when he saw it was only a haunted house.

"Well, at least it's nothing serious." The cabbit reached for the door.

Suddenly, the doors groaned as they opened themselves for the hero. Klonoa blinked in surprise but headed inside nevertheless.

--------

In the quiet kingdom, the sea green cabbit sat with his legs hanging over the edge of a bottomless pit. He watched rusty clouds slowly fly overhead, wondering how they felt being up so high over him. As he finished his last question, a new one sprang into his head: how did he, the King of Sorrow, feel?

"How...do I feel?" he asked no one in particular. "How does...anyone feel?" His Highness stood up and took a few steps, "Emotions...so necessary for survival, yet they are so powerful that they can terminate a creature. Why is something so essential so deadly?" The crowned creature hung his head, "After all these thoughts and hypotheses, I've come to realize that the mask in the mirror is my worst friend."

A gold Kiton fluttered near him and hovered in midair, wondering what his king was doing out here by himself. The creature gave out a questioning squeak then waited for a response. Ruby eyes glanced at a flying subject then became transfixed on the drop.

"There are days when I sit here and think to myself 'Wow, that's a long fall', and yet," he smiled happily at his new acquaintance, "there are others when the only thing on my mind is how the wind would feel as I plummeted down. That question is very tempting at times, and now I find myself..." He watched as his foot took one slow step towards the edge. "...lusting for that feeling..."

Just as his other foot went to take its final step into oblivion, a roaring pain rocketed down his spine. The King of Sorrow cried out and fell to his knees.

"D-damn this feeling!" He roared angrily through the agonizing throbbing, "This is my life, and I'll end it when I pl—Gnh...!"

"Stand perfectly still... My slightest touch is enough to kill you..." A deep voice whispered from behind. "All I have to do is cut this very string, my puppet, and all of your wishes will be granted. However, your death is not allowed as of yet; you still have so much work to do. So much has to be done."

The sea green figure closed his eyes, "Who...Who are you?"

"Who?" The question dangled on the voice's breath for a moment then was thrust away by a patronizing laugh. "Who? I haven't been a who for the longest time... If you wish to call me anything, my name is Loki. However, there is something else that I feel needs to be said."

The ruler over Sorrow felt the figure leave from his previous position. However, the ice trickled through his fur, and something gently pushed up his chin, as if inspecting every inch of his being. Red eyes snapped open to see a horrible figure before him. The King of Sorrow seemed to be looking into a mirror as the figure was his own reflection. Loki walked on the pit as if it were completely solid; oddly though, ripples were born with each of his steps.

"You are not fated to die yet, my liege. There is an unfinished affair that needs to be dealt with."

"Why not deal with this yourself?" The king snapped, angry that he was being used by anyone.

The replicate chuckled, "No, I'd rather have my puppets play while I control the strings from behind the curtain. And you all have equal roles; don't be discouraged, my liege. I must commend you all on your work. You easily fall into place when I tell you; I'd rather be left with no mess to clean up." Loki sighed and frowned, turning his head to the ground, "And you killing yourself would make a terribly big mess." His eyes gave off a malicious glow that burned into the King of Sorrow's memory, "And anyone who deliberately makes a big mess will be dealt with immediately, whether they reside in this life or the next." A slight smile came to the reflection's face, "You take good care of yourself, my liege." In a swirl of searing black fire, the double disappeared.

The King of Sorrow collapsed to his knees, kneeling before an unseen master, and watched as his last shred of hope spiraled into despair.

--------

Klonoa sprinted down the walkway after the albino cat, his ears fluttering in the wind. She just barely escaped from her last little trick; Klonoa managed to defeat the coffin ghost, but Tat jumped out of the disguise and took off too quickly for him to grab her. However, he was catching up to Tat, and that was all that mattered. He leapt into the air and fired a bullet at a floating Jetimo. Inflating the creature a bit, it prepared for takeoff. Klonoa slowly started to move so they wouldn't crash into the ceiling.

"3!"

Aiming himself out perfectly, the cabbit tightened his grip on the Ring.

"2!"

A mischievous smirk came over his face.

"1!"

Shouting cheerfully into the night sky, Klonoa looked all around him at the scenery flying past him. He was blasted into the air and through huge multicolored fireworks. The young hero could smell the metallic stench left afterwards, but the sight heavily outweighed the bad smell. His mouth hung agape until he heard a small pop noise. The Jetimo had burst, causing Klonoa to fall straight down. A small yip of surprise snuck out of his mouth, but a huge smile covered his face. As much as he hated to admit it, this hero business was exciting and fun. Then, seizing a passing Kiton, Klonoa flew himself over a large rollercoaster to see a small white cat running as fast as she could. He threw the enemy into the distance and smirked as he started to freefall towards his target. The sense of the rushing air was uplifting, and the cabbit felt even more energized than before, if that was possible.

Tat, feeling someone's eyes upon her, looked around to find her "stalker". Not seeing anyone at ground level, she gazed up and saw a smiling speck in the air. The white cat almost screamed as her pace quickened ten fold. If she could just get to the merry-go-round, she figured she could be safe until her other half had surely given the Element to Leorina. "Don't you ever give up?" Tat yelled anxiously as she saw the gap closing between her and the hero.

Klonoa simply laughed lightheartedly as an answer. He hadn't had this much fun for awhile. Though he knew he was supposed to be getting back the Element, Klonoa felt as though he was only enjoying an attraction from Joilant. Maybe that was the point of this kingdom: to make people forget their troubles and laugh. If this place was the cause of Klonoa's cheerfulness, he wondered what effects the other kingdoms would have on him. But his mind didn't have much time to wonder as he chased after the feline thief. He ran towards a huge merry-go-round that was simply made of platforms that moved clockwise uniformly and alternated going up and down. Once he noticed Tat hovering on one of the platforms, Klonoa jumped into a cannon and flew over towards her. He flipped through the air and landed with a determined glint in his eyes.

"No more playing! Give back the Element!"

Tat giggled, "If you want it, you'll just have to take it!" With that taunt, she hopped onto the next platform.

Klonoa huffed and jumped after her. He knew he'd have to catch her fast, or he was liable to get dizzy and possibly fall. Heck, he could fall without getting dizzy! If he jumped at the wrong time, it would be all over. After a few minutes of running around the merry-go-round, Klonoa spied Tat getting ready to jump to the next platform.

"No, you don't!" Klonoa yelled as he fired a Wind Bullet towards her.

Tat jumped away at the last second and turned to smirk at Klonoa, "You need to learn how to aim!"

Klonoa seized her stalling and jumped after her. He quickly fired another bullet; this shot was successful. Tat was struggling to get out of the green light confining her to Klonoa's ring, then sighed and just hung limply. Klonoa grabbed her paw and held her under her arms.

"Okay, I caught you fair and square! Time to give back the Element!" Klonoa exclaimed.

Tat screamed, "Hey! Watch where you're putting those hands, you perv!"

"Oh! Sorry!" Klonoa yelped as he released Tat from his grip.

The thief, seeming now full of confidence, laughed victoriously, "Sorry, Klonoa darling, but you chose poorly! Nevertheless, I had so much fun on our little date! We'll have to do it again sometime! Ta ta!"

She ran back into the fun park and probably to where she came from, Klonoa figured. He suddenly felt like something was missing and looked around. Then the hero realized who was gone.

"Hey... Where's Popka?"

--------

Back in the fun park's entrance was poor Popka. He had stayed there hanging, thinking Klonoa would be right back. His thoughts changed after half an hour went by of seeing no one coming back.

"Hey, ya moron! Ya forgot me!" The dog shouted, thinking Klonoa might hear him and come back.

"I didn't forget you, Popka!"

Popka blinked in shock when he saw Klonoa standing front of him. The big blue hat, black floppy ears, blue zipper shirt, red sneakers, and golden ring: it was Klonoa alright. But where was Tat? Did he give up chasing her just to get him down? Popka agreed with that; Klonoa would be dense enough to do just that.

"Fine, get me down then!"

Klonoa smirked, "Of course!" He took off his hat, and it instantly popped out into a black top hat.

Popka's eyes went wide, "You ain't..."

"Bingo!" 'Klonoa' cried as he held out his hat. "And for my first trick, I'll make this wittle doggy disappear!"

--

End of Vision

--


End file.
